"In the country where Cecil was killed, a threat of far greater
proportions now looms over the lion population. One of Zimbabwe's
largest and successful wildlife reserves, the Bubye Valley Conservancy,
recently announced that its population of 500 lions is unsustainable,
and their numbers must be reduced by at least 200.
Some are calling this the “Cecil effect,” blaming this overpopulation on
the fact that trophy hunters have been scared off after the uproar over
Cecil’s death. This is utterly absurd and plain arrogant -- wild
animals have never needed human hunters to regulate their numbers.
Still, though Bubye’s managers say they would prefer a non-lethal
solution, there is a very real possibility that these lions could be
killed. We must make sure this doesn’t happen.
Please join me in calling on Bubye general manager Blondie Leathem and
the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Authority to ensure that these lions
will not be killed. Please ask them to commit to the rehoming of the 200
Bubye lions in question.
The past twenty years have seen a 43% decline in the world’s lion
population. There are now only 20,000 lions left in Africa, from a high
of 200,000 100 years ago. And conservationists fear that their numbers
could halve again in the next twenty years because of human-animal
conflict and reduced habitat and food supplies. Bubye is one of the
great success stories for lion conservation. The world is watching them,
and they must act responsibly to preserve the lives of their lions.
African lions are a hot-button cause right now, and animal activists
everywhere would jump at the chance to raise money to support the
rehoming of Bubye’s lions. But Bubye and the Zimbabwean government must
commit to keeping them alive until a viable alternative can be found and
funded.
Please join me in urging the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Authority to
commit to keeping the lions of Bubye alive." ~ Betty Hogan